Over the last 18 months, while I have been working with my clients, I have been thinking about how best to serve them, plus how can I best serve them ‘moving forward’.
I think we can all agree (unless you are in the billionaires club), that 2020 and 2021 are among the most challenging and uncertain times and experiences that each of us have likely faced in our lives.
I also don’t think things are going to settle down to stability, certainty, harmony and unity anytime soon. Would you agree that that is a fair enough statement? I wish for different, but I like to think of myself as a realistic optimist.
So I want to know, what I can do, to help me prepare for, and step into the weeks and months ahead, so I have the highest probability of authentically succeeding in my life. To experience highest level of fulfillment, meaning, joy and peace.
In one of my very first eBooks – Become an ELITE Goal Setter (you can download a free copy here without signing anything) – I talked about how to achieve our goals. First we needed a clear vision, then a compelling why, and then the 3rd step was about ‘Who do I need to become?‘ I realised that if someone wanted to become successful in business, they needed to become a person who has the attributes, qualities and attitude to become successful in business.
I often ask in my workshops and seminars, what is the most important thing for someone to become ‘successful’? Is it Skills, Opportunities, or Attitude? And most people acknowledged it was Attitude. The smartest musicians are not the most successful. Nor are the most skilled musicians the most successful. It is generally the musicians with the right attitude, attributes and qualities, that lead them to a successful and impactful musical career.
So…
In order for you to thrive in the weeks, months and years to come, in an environment of disruption, disharmony, uncertainty and an increase in external influences or impositions, who do you need to BECOME?
After asking myself that question many times – as I was dropping into the zone in my favourite east coast Bali beach-side bungalow – I came up with this idea of what character types or archetypes would be most effective (if I was to choose only three to work on enhancing).
The answer was a LEADER, a WARRIOR, and a SAGE.
Let me explain each one briefly.
A LEADER
I have formally studied leadership, read extensively about it, and been in numerous leadership roles. However the leader I am talking about here is actually the leader of yourself.
In my mind a (high quality) LEADER has the following attributes and skill-sets:
- They are great visionaries, and can see clearly the end result they would like to achieve.
- They stay aware of the big picture.
- They are attuned to the moving parts of the bigger plan.
- They have the ability to modify the plan if new information is made available.
- They are strategic in their thinking, so consider long-term consequences, over short-term gains plus what resources are necessary to achieve the result.
- They are great at making high quality decisions.
- The best leaders are self-aware and self-regulating (they also know their limitations)
- They are non-reactive, not easily distracted, and focused on the end goal and pathway to get there
- They are not attached to their ego – so are not threatened by surrounding themselves with people smarter than them or seeking quality advice.
- A truly great leader also practices humility and realizes their successes are not 100% of their making.
I could go on, as there are other things that stand out for a great leader, but I am sure you are getting the idea. And these qualities and attributes would definitely be major pluses for navigating uncertain and tumultuous times.
A WARRIOR
I see a range of types of warrior – from the Spartans and ancient Greeks, to a modern day warrior who is not even in the military. I have also had the good fortune of working with some awesome female warriors (in the military and outside the military), so this is non gender specific. It is again a quality or attribute or value that can be developed.
In my mind a WARRIOR has the following attributes and skill-sets:
- They have tenacity, grit, and resilience.
- They are courageous in the face of a challenge or uncertainty.
- They are always working on their energy, so they have the capacity to face whatever challenges come their way.
- They operate and live according to a Code of Conduct. They choose what is right, over what is easy.
- They are disciplined; so do what needs to be done, even if they don’t like it, don’t feel like it, or it is ‘boring’.
- They are not easily distracted, or taken off the path, or reactive.
- They can handle discomfort.
- They have a great sense of humour in the face of adversity (this is my personal experience from my time in the military).
- They have a high sense of integrity.
Again, I could say more (and I will in the future) but for now, I am sure that you get the general idea.
A SAGE
I am a deep lover of ‘wisdom’ over intelligence or ‘well educated’. I have seen well educated people make very poor, short-sighted and unaware choices over the last 18-months. So when I talk about wisdom it is something else entirely. True wisdom, in my opinion, comes from knowledge + experience + consciousness.
In my mind a SAGE has the following attributes and skill-sets:
- They ‘think’ deeply, rather than letting a lot of bubbling thoughts occupy their mind.
- They are calm, centered and grounded.
- They move with deliberate intention and quite often slowly.
- They are connected to something deeper than what is perceived by the standard five senses.
- They have a high level of self awareness.
- They are good at decision-making and bring a level of depth beyond the intellect to the decision-making process.
- They can hold opposing and paradoxical ideas in mind, without reactivity.
- They are open to hearing or seeing different points of view or theories.
- They know that they don’t know what they don’t know or everything there is to know.
- They are humble and okay with making mis-takes.
- They have a sense of humour and can laugh at themselves.
Again, I could go on and a bit deeper as well, but the aim was to give you a sense of what I have in mind when I talk about a sage.
So What Do I Do With This?
I believe – just like neuroscience will tell us about neuroplasticity and the brains ability to form new networks and neural pathways and the brain being more like Plasticine than a fixed and set organ – that we have the ability to focus on and build up our personal virtues and qualities.
Like a muscle, I can work on building up my leadership skills and leadership being-ness. I can practice the attributes of a warrior, so I can show up with the warrior in me when called on. And so can you. We can also work on becoming more sage-like as we navigate our way through life. ESPECIALLY in uncertain times.
I wanted to introduce you to this theory and concept for you to chew on. To see if it makes sense to you. To see how you rate yourself on each of these attributes. To see if you think that with those added skills and ways of being, you might be able to face challenging times more effectively and more gracefully.
Do let me know what you think. 🙂
My plan from here is to dig deeper still and actually create a workshop which helps people build up these different ‘muscles’. I really want to help people make it through the next bunch of months and actually start to thrive. I will probably run the workshop in November, and to make it as accessible as possible, I will probably make it up to people to pay what they can afford (but don’t tell my girlfriend that I am planning that ;-)). So do keep an eye out for more details.
I will be calling this workshop… How to Become a Natural SuperHuman. I have this belief, that we are all WAY MORE POWERFUL than we have been lead to believe, so I want to be a part of helping people unleash their inner awesomeness. 🙂
Keep an eye out for that. Let me know what you think of my theory.
And have a super fabulous day.
Much love.
Carl